Thomas Bryant

Based on the research of Shirley Perry:

Thomas Bryant b. ca 1808-10 is a strong candidate for a grandson or relative of John Bryant Jr. and Judith Winfrey.

In 1830, Thomas Bryant lived in Lincoln Co, TN on the vicinity of the Shelton Creek area, which was ground zero in TN for the RIC Bryants. Some McGehees, Easop Shelton, and John Taylor were on the same census page. (Each family was linked to the RIC Bryants through marriage.) In addition, Thomas was 5 pages from John Bryant III, a proven RIC Bryant. All this leads to a supposition that Thomas himself was a member of the same Bryant clan.

It’s hard to interpret Thomas Bryant’s 1830 household. It included a male 30-39 (probably Thomas), a male 20-30, a female 20-29, and a female 15-19. We have debated the options and are still uncertain. Here are the more likely options: two couples or a couple and two siblings. We are also uncertain who the second male might be. It could be James Bryant who married Eudocia Littrell, but if so, it suggests his DOB in the 1850 census may have been off by a decade. Or it could be someone else…

In the 1840 census, Thomas (30-40)[1] was still in the Shelton Creek area. He had 2 boys under 5, a wife 20-30, one girl 5-10 and another 10-15. Since Thomas had no children in 1830, the oldest girl was either b. in late 1830 or she was a relative.

John III and his family migrated to Tishomingo Co, MS ca 1835-6, so Thomas’ other neighbors in 1840 are particularly important:

1) Next door was Sarah Hunter. She was the widow of Hance Hunter. Lincoln Co. records state that, on 1 May 1815, William Prude, Joseph Riley & Hance Hunter were appointed commissioners “to lay off a support for one year for the widows and familys of Vardeman Shelton and Charles Duncan and make report to this court.” Another entry stated that, on 7 Aug. 1815, Joseph Kelley,

Hance Hunter & William Prude were appointed to “set apart a sufficient part of estate of Charles Duncan decd for the use of the widow, made return of same.”[2] Vardeman Shelton and Charles Duncan died in the War of 1812. Both families were related to the Bryants through marriage.[3]

2) Several households away was Vincent Littrell. (See footnote three. All of the Luttrells/Littrells of Shelton Creek were related to the Bryant family via marriages in Ky and TN.)

3) Two households away was Anderson Shelton. He was the son of either Eliphas Shelton or James Shelton. Both were related to the Bryants through marriage.

4) On the same census page was W. R. Bryant. (We are currently conducting further research on him.)

Despite intensive efforts, we haven’t been able to locate Thomas in 1850. He may have used a different name in that census or the census could have been severely mistranscribed.

In 1860, Thomas Bryant was in Jackson Co, AL, living in the county poorhouse (on Poorhouse Mountain) with three daughters (Mahala, Melinda, Sarah). There was only one other family in the poorhouse—McElyea. As it happens, there were a couple of McElyea households in the Shelton Creek area of Lincoln County in 1870. Trees suggest they were from Wilson County, Tn.[4]

Based on all available data, including all censuses and death certificates, here is a summary of Thomas’ family:

Thomas b. 1808-10 in KY

Unknown wife

1. Possible daughter b. ca 1830

2. Mary b. ca 1835 in TN m1 Ellis Webb bef. 1860 m2 George W. Key(s) in 1869. Descendants claim George was in Tishomingo before Jackson County, AL. This couple was listed in the 1870, 1880, and 1900 Jackson censuses. Both died in 1909 and were buried at the poorhouse. Mary had no children from either marriage. (Mary’s death certificate stated that her father was Tom Bryant and her mother was Mrs. Bryant.)

3. Son b. 1835-1840

4. Son b. 1835-1840

5. Mahala b. 1843-1853 (probably ca 1848 based on the 1860 census) in AL m. William Cullen Sturdivant July 25 1867 in Madison Co, AL. In the Madison Co, AL 1880 census, her DOB was 1853; she had several children, and her husband used the name “Cullen.” Mahala’ marriage certificated identified her as “Mahala Bryant.” Cullen died Mar 18 1884, and in 1901, Mahala applied for a widow's pension for his Civil War service. In that she stated she was born in Bellefonte (Jackson Co) on Apr 14 1845, and that her father was Tom Bryant, decd. Later, in the same papers, she changed his DOB to 1843. She died Jan 9 1929 at Madison, Limestone Co, AL.

6. Melinda b. ca 1852 in AL. Melinda started working for the Watkins family in Jackson County. They moved to DeKalb Co, Al. In the 1870 census for DeKalb Co, she was 16 and listed as a domestic servant for the John A. Watkins family. She married his son James Watkins ca 1871. In 1880, Melinda and James were back in Jackson Co, Al. In 1900, they were in Texas. James died 1903.[5] One of their sons carried the middle name of “Hunter.”

7. Sarah b. 1857 in AL. (was in the poorhouse with her father in 1860)

Since we cannot locate Thomas in 1850, there could be additional sons and daughters.

We speculate that Thomas died bef. 1870. His daughter Mahala stated that he died near Bellefonte, AL, an area connected to other RIC Bryants.

[1] In combination with the 1830 census, this points to a DOB of ca 1810. This was consistent with the 1860 census in Jackson Co, AL.

[2] Melinda, a daughter of Thomas had a son with the middle name “Hunter.” Eliza, a daughter of probable RIC Elisha, son of William Bryant, married a Hunter in Jackson Co, AL. Also, a Lillie Zilpha Hunter married a Luttrell who was a nephew of J. L. Luttell.

[3] Here’s an indirect Bryant-Luttrell connection: On 8 Nov. 1814 Nancy Benson Norwell/Nowell entered into a bond with Danl. Benson (uncle or brother) and Hance Hunter to settle her husband's estate. Nancy was the daughter of Levin Benson, Sr. Her niece Sarah Benson m. Vincent Luttrell. She lived on Shelton Creek.

[4] Its unclear whether the Jackson and Lincoln McElyea families were related but the name is sufficiently unusual that one is inclined to presume a familial relationship.

[5] Some trees on Ancestry.com line Melinda Bryant Watkins to parents Thomas and Prudence in Peoria, IL. This is a major error!